A man has gone on trial for participating in a knifepoint robbery at Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish and his wife Peta’s home after turning himself in to the police in June.

A group of masked men armed with large knives broke into the couple’s home at around 2:30 AM on November 27, 2021, while their children were at home asleep. According to Cavendish, the men were “screaming, ‘Where are the watches?’” and “demanding to know where the safe and the money were.”

They threatened to stab Cavendish, forcing him to comply with their demands. Cavendish was recovering from broken ribs sustained in a cycling crash when the robbery occurred.

The accused men were charged with robbing Cavendish of a watch, phone, and safe, while his wife of a watch, phone, and suitcase. They took two Richard Mille watches worth £700,000, then left Peta’s phone outside the property.

Prosecutor Edward Renvoize described the raid as a “planned, targeted, orchestrated, ruthless offending” towards a well-known athlete and his wife “who happened to be brand ambassadors for exceptionally valuable Richard Mille watches.”

Two people were convicted in 2022 in connection with the robbery. Romario Henry, 31, of Bell Green, Lewisham, south-east London, was found guilty of two counts of robbery following a trial and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Ali Sesay, 28, of Holding Street, Rainham, Kent, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and was jailed for 12 years.

The police then issued photographs of another person, Jo Jobson, in January 2022, indicating he was a suspect. Eighteen months later, Jobson, 27, handed himself in to Chelmsford Police. He was charged with two counts of robbery but denied them. He is now on trial to verify these charges.

Jobson is also facing two charges of attempted grievous bodily harm in connection with an unrelated incident that occurred in July 2022.

Renvoize mentioned that DNA found on Mrs Cavendish’s phone was linked to Ali Sesay, and then the police tracked a phone associated with Sesay. Through data from that phone, law enforcement identified several other phone numbers connected to the crime. Among these numbers, one is believed to be Jobson’s.

However, Jobson claimed he wasn’t in control of the phone. He said it belonged to someone named Stephen Smith.

Jobson’s trial continues and is estimated to last one week.

How to stay safe

The incident is part of a growing trend of home burglaries of sportsmen. According to an Insider article in 2022, while there is no official data on the number of soccer stars and other athletes robbed or assaulted in their homes, social media and traditional media reports suggest that it is becoming increasingly common.

As of February 2022, Insider had identified over 20 publicly reported robberies of football players and their families since 2019.

Sports people are vulnerable to theft because they often share images of their wealth and possessions on social media. Moreover, their schedules are publicly known. This tells thieves when they will be away from home.

As such, it is crucial for high-profile people – such as athletes – to be mindful of what is posted on social media. It is prudent to avoid posting images of your wealth or possessions and be discreet about one’s schedule.

Marengo routinely conducts property security reviews for high-profile individuals, including sports people. We assess the existing security, identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the security plan, and provide recommendations for additional measures. Our security plans are designed to suit the lifestyle and profile of each of our clients; ensuring they are proportionate, tasteful, and effective.

Following implementation of the new security plan, we provide security training for our clients, their family members, and their household staff. This is essential because human error is frequently the single point of failure.